Two men found guilty of robbing store in Langtoft

Two men have been warned to expect lengthy jail sentences after they were found guilty of carrying out a New Year’s Eve armed robbery.

Luke Hamilton and Fabio Teixeira, both 26, were convicted of robbing the Londis store in West End, Langtoft, yesterday (Monday), after a five-day trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

The jury were told the pair, who lived in Peterborough, chose the shop because it was a “soft target” and escaped with £1,000 in cash and some cigarette papers after a shopworker in her 60s was threatened with a large knife.

It happened on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve in 2009.

CCTV caught the two masked men walking into the store shortly after 3.10pm. The jury heard that Hamilton was carrying an iron bar and tried to get the till open while Teixeira stood guard with a knife.

He then threatened the shopworker and order her to open the till.

The pair drove back to Peterborough in Teixera’s car, the jury was told. But prosecutor Gordon Aspden said the pair had made a number of mistakes which led police to identify them.

Hamilton’s finger prints were later found in Teixeira’s car.

Teixeira, 26, of High Street, Fletton in Peterborough, and Hamilton, 26, now of no fixed address, both denied the robbery.

Teixeira told police he spent the day at home with his girlfriend only going out to visit a supermarket in Peterborough. Hamilton made no comments during a series of interviews.

Both men will be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on April 5, after the case was adjourned for probation reports.